The National tribune., 1887-03-31
SEDGWICK MONUMENT,
The Committee Visits aIsop's Farm.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The Executive
Committee of the Sedgwick Memorial AssOcis-
| tion, as mentioned in your issue Of March "a,
left Philadelphia for Fredericksburg to make
| final arrangements for the unvailing of the
monument in memory of our Uncle John" !"
the beloved commander Of the Sixth Corps, who
was killed on the 9th of May on Alsop's Farm,
the commencement Of the series Of battles
around Spottsylvania Courthouse. On our
arrival at Fredericksburg we received a hearty
welcome from Mr.. K. b. Merchant. editor Fred
ericksbug Star and President Of the "Chancel-
lorsville Stonewall Jackson Monument Assoeia-
tion. and a number of the members Of Maury
Camp, No. 2, CS.Y. An old friend, Mr.. E. K.
Wheeler. at once took us in his carriage TO the
Exchange Hotel, recently occupied and re-
furnished by Comrade Cotton, veteran of Co.
A, 2lst Mass. and to all old soldiers visiting
the battiefelds in that neighborhood we recon-
mend Comrade Cotton.
While at dinner our Comrade A. ]. Birdsall,
Superintendent National Military Cemetery,
came in, and with him we went around and
saw number of parties, who were very much
pleased to have come down and promised all
that was needful to assist in the unvailing OF
the monument should be done. The President,
Gen. Jas. w. Latta, met an old friend in Maj.
Russell, brother of Adit-Gen. Russell, of
Pennsylvania, his predecessor in Office.
After calling on the editor of the Free Lance
and Mayor of the city, and getting from his
Honor the freedom of the city for AZ hours,
May ii and IL. we took a carriage and visited
the Bernard House, on the banks of the Kappa
hammock River, three miles below the town,
where Gen. Bayard, of the old Union cavalry,
was killed Dec. 13, 1862, and Franklin's Cross
ing. The Bernard House is in ruins, having
been burned down since the war, and the farm,
which, as to the soil, is one of the best, is in
the unkempt condition Of many Virginia farms
L.. IL. -
general observation OF the neighborhood,
including the monument to the mother of
Washington, Falmouth and the earthworks
along the river, we returned TO the town, where
Mr.. Geo. w. johnson, Chairman Of the COM
mittee, made his final arrangement for the
care and comfort of the many old boys who are
coming down in May.
Sunday morning we were on the road again,
passing the old Tannery in Fredericksburg
Salem Church, where the Sixth Corps met the
enemy coming from Charlottesville, and out
until we struck into the Catharpin road. which
we followed to Alsop's Farm; driving through
the same we picked up a young man of the
family, who went with US to the spot where
Gen. Sedgwiek fell. After arranging with him
for the clearing up and putting in order the
ground to be occupied by the monument, we
drove over to the famous " Bloody Angle" Gen.
Latta and Comrade johnson, of the 10th Pa,
and Comrado Guenther, of the 61st Pa, readily
recognized the ground Immediately in front of
the angle where their respective regiments
stood on the 18th of May, 1864.
Mr.. Payne, occupying the McCOol Farm, on
which the severest fighting was done and of
which the Bloody Angle" is part, informed
us that a few bodies of Union soldiers had been
discovered few days previous by his son and
some other boys. Promising to tell COmrade
Birdsall, so they could be brought to the Ma
tiOnal Cemetery, we then drove to Spottsyl-
vania Court rt-hOuse, where we met and took
dinner with Mr.. William w. Ashby. Speaking
with him in regard to the condition of the
roads and mentioning the charging of toll to
pay for keeping them in order, he gave an
illustration of the system of barter that is in
use in the neighborhood by saying that woman
near by sent to his store for three eggs worth
of tea, sending but two eggs and promising the
other when the hen laid it.
Court is held there but once month"; and
everybody comes to meet everybody. Among
the Northern visitors he said seven out of ten
are Philadelphians, but every year they are
dividing more among all parts of the North.
Concluding with him for the erection of the
Speakers stand, dinner and refreshments to be
served on the monument grounds on the 18th
of May, we visited the Confederate Cemetery,
and then started for Fredericksburg by the
short route. Crossing the Po and Massaponax
Rivers and Hazel Run, we arrived in town and
were again WeicOtneu Dy nunlDer OF 1laury
Camp, C. g. Veterans, including the members
of the City Council. some of whom, at the in
yitation of Comrade Cotton, the proprietor,
took supper with US, after which we spent 3
very pleasant evening with them until train
time.
AS result of the committees visit every
thing is assured for the success of the excur-
sion and unvailing of the monument. The
Mayor says we can capture the city for as long
as We want it. The Fredericksburg Grays. al
most all ex-Confederates, commanded by Capt
T. McCracken and Lieut. VI. f. Griffin, will act
as an escort. Everything needful to care for
the visitors will be provided by the people of
the town and surrounding country. The fact
that Mr.. Ashby will be in charge on the monu-
ment grounds, as it will hereafter be called, in
sures that the creature comforts will not be
neglected, and as for the monument itself the
writer was assured that the only injury even
possible to it would be at the hands Of North
ern relic-hunters.
At the present outlook the number of visit
ors will be large, and as the 10th Pa. Sur
vivors' Association had contracted in Novem-
ber last for the transportation from Philadel-
phia all comrades who intend taking the trip,
are assured that the rates will be adhered to as
published in Circular No. 3 of the Sedgwick
Memorial Assoeiation.-JAMEsM M. MCGEE, As
sistant Corresponding Secretary, Roxborough,